Zarco Too Strong for Lowes in Argentina

Johann Zarco turned the tables on polesitter Sam Lowes to claim victory in a closely fought Argentine Grand Prix at Termas de Rio Hondo. Lowes had snatched pole position in the dying seconds of qualifying yesterday but Zarco showed his class on race day, passing the Briton ten laps from home and controlling the race from there.

With damp patches at several corners, conditions were tricky for the riders and early leader Jonas Folger found that out on lap three, sliding wide and letting Lowes through. The Federal Oil Gresini rider couldn’t break away from the German though and would soon come under pressure from Zarco with the Frenchman diving past Folger for second on lap eight, followed through by Franco Morbidelli.

The key overtake would come on lap thirteen with Zarco outbraking Lowes at the end of the back straight into turn five. The tight left-hander would prove problematic for Sam six laps later as he plotted a counter-attack, the no.22 catching a damp patch and overshooting the corner. No positions were lost, but any hope of a victory ended there.

Zarco would ultimately ease to victory by 1.3 seconds, setting the fastest lap of the race last time around, with Lowes and Folger completing the podium after a damp patch at turn one brought about Morbidelli’s demise. Alex Rins recovered from a poor qualifying to finish fourth ahead of Dominique Aegerter and Hafizh Syahrin while championship leader Thomas Luthi toiled his way to seventh.

Axel Pons was eighth while Takaaki Nakagami and Mattia Pasini rounded out the top ten.